


Shock and Compromise

by CharacteristicallyMinor



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Arc Reactor, Electrocution, Friendship, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 11:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6422335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharacteristicallyMinor/pseuds/CharacteristicallyMinor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jan confronts Tony about Professor Pym electrocuting him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shock and Compromise

"Tony!" Jan shouted, running up to him on the quad. "I need a word with you!"

"What did I do?" Tony asked, hands coming up defensively. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong lately. Well, okay, there had been that prank war with Loki. And his most recent attempt to get Natasha to date him. And that thing with Steve... okay, so there were actually a few things that he'd done wrong. 

"Why didn't you tell me that Professor Pym keeps shocking you! That's torture, and you shouldn't have to deal with that alone," Jan said, furious on his behalf.

Of all the things Jan could have come to him about, this was on the very bottom of things he would have guessed. He wasn't used to people caring this much about him. It was really weird, but also kind of nice.

"He's not torturing me," Tony explained. "My old arc reactor was palladium. It was the most efficient option, but it was also poisoning me. Since I don't want to die before I graduate college, I switched to a new alloy. It's not going to kill me, but it also doesn't hold power that long. Recharging the arc reactor for a couple of hours every so often is better than dying of heavy metal poisoning, though."

"Oh. That changes things. Does the reactor really have to be in your body while you charge it?" Jan asked, her voice softer now with sympathy.

"It charges faster while in my body. It looks worse than it is," Tony said. He was lying a bit about the pain, but this was his best option. He didn't trust the academy enough to leave spare arc reactors lying around. If Fury or Pym or Hydra or AIM got their hands on one, he didn't trust that they wouldn't use it against him.

"Then we need to find a new alloy," Jan said, determined.

"Pym's looking for one for me, but I'm pretty confident there isn't a better option. Not unless there are any completely unknown elements you know of that I'm not taking into consideration," Tony joked.

"I'm glad he's helping you. Maybe I've been unfair to him," Jan said. "Have you tried out any alien elements yet?"

Two weeks later, Jan was spending more time in the lab analyzing alien chemistry; Tony didn't think she'd find anything he'd missed, but it was nice to know she cared. She also had developed a crush on Professor Pym. Tony couldn't help feel a little responsible for that one. 

Maybe if Tony had been older, he would have decided trying the alloy that needed recharging wasn't worth the risk. As it was, though, the hours of pain were a sacrifice he was willing to make in exchange for the chance to grow up.


End file.
